Hi everyone!
This week, I learned how to use the laser cut machine and became more familiar with makercase and adobe illustrator for designing.
MakerCase
I started by measuring the wood thickness at 0.175 inches and designed finger joints at 0.59 inches. Based on our previous laser cutting tutorial and discussion, we determined the kerf to be around 0.008 inches, which i then inputted into MakerCase before downloading the final file.
Adobe Illustrator
In adobe illustrator, I used the shape building tool to create 6 shapes to streamline the cutting process. Afterwards, I downloaded my college crest for one square and added the required text information into another. Wanting a Smiski-themed design, I sourced images of available Smiski figures and used illustrator’s image trace tool to convert them to grayscale, isolating each figure by removing the background. After adjusting the stroke widths to the appropriate value ( 0.001” for vector cutting and 0.003” for engraving), I was ready to run some test cuts.
Laser Printing
During my test cut of the Smiski figures, I noticed that the design not only engraved as expected, but also inadvertently created a vector file of the figure. Despite double checking that all stroke settings in adobe illustrator were set at 0.003” for engraving (and consulting with a lab assistant), we ran into the same issue. We ultimately decided to split the laser printing into two separate parts. The first part was solely engraving and I turned off the vector settings within the epilog printing setting to ensure only engraving was processed. The engraving settings included (per the epilog instructions) 100 speed, 45 power, 600 DPI.
After completing the engraving, I aligned the x and y axis of the new vector file, which contained only the box outlines, to ensure precise cutting. For this step, I used the vector settings of 30 speed, 100 power, and 10 frequency.
Initially, I had planned on adding tape to this new side before cutting. However, I was concerned that any slight movement of the plywood might misalign the design, causing the vector engravings to shift outside the designated box outlines. To maintain accuracy, I decided to proceed without repositioning the material to add type, ensuring that the final cuts were aligned with the original engraving. In the future, I plan on using tape for minimal charring, as I saw in my test cut.
After completing the laser cutting, I assembled my box together. I positioned the squares to that the Smiski engraving appeared on the sides, while the text was placed on the top and McMurtry crest on the bottom. I’m really happy with my final box and can’t wait to use the laser printing again for my other projects.
Cost Analysis
| Material | Amount | Cost |
| 1/4” plywood 2 x 4 feet | 1 | $14.94 |
| Laser Cutter Operator | $20/hr for 2 hours | $40 |
| Laser Cutter Machine Use | $15-$30/hour → ~ $22.5/hour for 2 hours | $45 |
Clean Up
